The Teachers Are Not Okay

This week was teacher appreciation week. How did you appreciate a teacher this week?

In the last 3 months 15 teachers that I know have left the job. That is one teacher a week. The profession is in crisis. I am sounding the alarm. Teachers are leaving the field at alarming rates, mostly to find less stressful jobs. When I entered work this morning, the talk was about how our salaries just aren't cutting it anymore—with the added deprecation that —” I didn't get into this for money… but Jah…pressure.” Behind their comments is the realization that teachers are running on empty, their passion waning -as it is wont to do- at the end of the term when the demands placed on them become quite heavy. From the outside, many might see teachers as having excessive free time— babysitters, responsible for imparting manners, lacking in professional difficulties, ordinary people doing a job that anyone can do. Admit it! This is how teachers are viewed. Many may give lip service by saying it is a noble profession (it is), that it’s inspiring, impactful, and rewarding (it is) but these platitudes and their results that are used to categorize the profession, are the fruits of all the unpaid labour that teachers do. Yet, behind the classroom doors and lesson plans, many teachers are silently struggling with stress, burnout, and emotional exhaustion. This is a silent epidemic that demands our attention. Teachers are not okay.

You may be saying “but nobody told them to choose that job.” And you do have a point. Teaching is a vastly rewarding profession but it is also very demanding and this is a part of teaching that many teachers do not talk about. That they keep like a dirty trade secret. Despite their unwavering dedication to their students, many teachers are simply not okay. The pressures and challenges they face have mounted to overwhelming levels, taking a toll on their mental health and well-being. Then we have what I’ve seen. Their attempts to salvage doing what they love. Some have resigned, others have migrated or left to pursue other careers and then there is the inevitable retirement.

Presently, the demands on teachers coupled with the behavioural issues of students and struggling to bridge the learning gaps means that teachers all too clearly feel the effects of the past few years. Coupled with this is the fact that many people forget that teachers are humans too. They too, have to battle against stagnant wages, increased cost of living and the fact that teachers have their personal challenges like juggling caregiving responsibilities of their aging parents and their own children.

If your teachers aren’t well, how do you expect them to do their job? If you do not want to offer teachers any sympathy, empathy or grace, then think of it this way—can overwhelmed teachers provide the quality education your children deserve?

So sometime this week remember a teacher. One from your school days (there is always one). One currently teaching your children, grandchildren, sibling. Do you need help in showing your appreciation? You can help by advocating for better pay (smile), smaller class sizes, and increased mental health resources in schools. It means fostering a culture of appreciation and respect for the vital role they play in shaping our future generations. Keep these conversations going. The teachers are not okay. Parents, policymakers, and community members can all rally

behind your educators and ensure they have the resources and support they need to thrive. All our futures depend on it.

In the meantime we will persevere.

Back to the present, The morose mood is broken as it is also wont to do by the raucous laughter in the corner of the staff room as puns are made about the lollies someone brought to share as a respite from the heat. The teachers, we hope, will be okay.